Fractionating apparatus



May 5, 1959 as. HASELDEN 2,

FRACTIONATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 10, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 1 mvsmron GEOFFREY 6-HA5ELDEN m M, mymw HTTO'RNEYS May 5, 1959 G. G. HASELDEN 2,885,195

FRACTIONATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 10, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR GEOFFREY 6. HASELDEN arm M, Mr%

flTTORNEYS Mhy 5, 1959 G. G. HASELDEN FRACTIONATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 10, 1955 s'sheets-sheet s U S P O 2885195 I: i t t t t r n1 lcfi Patented May 5, 1959 faction and fractionation as described for example in copending patent application Serial No. 468,110. 2,885,195 Various embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example, and with reference to the FRACTIONATING APPARATUS 5 accompanying drawings, in which: Geofirey Gordon Haselden, Morden, England iig 1 p r p t view, p n away, of a mu tr e unit ractlonatm a aratus em in one con- Application October 10, 1955, Serial No. 539,602 strucon of fractionafingg 3 P y g Claims priority application Great Britain Figures 2, 3 and 4 show diagrammatically in cross sec- October 11, 1954 10 tional elevation three other cgnstructions of fractionating column in accordance with t e invention, and 12 (CL 261-112) Figure 5 shows diagrammatically in cross sectional elevation another construction of multiple unit fractionating apparatus.

This invention comprises improvements in or relating 15 Referring firstly to Figure 1, this shows a form of fracto fractionating apparatus. It is an object of the inventionating apparatus suitable for use in connection with tion to provide a fractionating column of high separatthe treatment of air for the separation of oxygen and ing performance. It is a further object of the invention nitrogen by liquefaction and fractionation, as described to provide such a column in which transfer of heat to for example in co-pending patent application Serial No. or from the materials being fractionated is possible dur- 468,110. ing fractionation. In this apparatus a series of parallel vertical metal The fractionating column herein described is designed Walls 11, 12 are separated by horizontally corrugated primarily for use in the treatment of mixed gases such as metal spacer elements 13, 14, which spacer elements are are met with in the manufacture of liquid air but the united, for example by solder, to the walls where they apparatus is capable of many other applications. 5 touch them at the bends or apices of the corrugations.

According to the present invention a fractionating col- Each spacer element is provided with a horizontal row of umn comprises walls, and a series of superposed partirectangular holes 16 just beneath each level at which it tions which individually extend both upwardly and across has the apex of a corrugation united to either of the walls the column and which together follow a course up the 1,1, 12 between which it lies. The effect is to form a column which zig-zags or otherwise deviates from side to horizontal pocket or trough 17 below each row of holes side within the walls, which partitions have apertures in 16, in the angle between the spacer elements 13 the upper portions of the sections or deviations of the zigand one or other of the walls 11, 12, as the case may be, zag or deviating construction, so that gas may pass upwhere liquid can collect and whence overflowing, it can wardly through the apertures and liquid may collect in, creep through the perforations and run as a thin film and overflow from, pockets or troughs formed by the down e underside of the corrugation. lower portions of the sections or deviations, below the The tops of alternate spaces between the walls 11, 12 apertures. are closed over as shown at 19, and the ends of all the In a preferred construction the column comprises two spaces are sealed by separate strips of sheet metal 20 flat upright parallel walls with a zigzag partition element (partly broken away). A manifold 21 is connected by extending between them, which partition element is in Ports 22 t0 the pp ends of the Spaces Which have their the form of a generally upright sheet, for example of tops closed over and contain the spacer elements 13, to metal, having horizontal corrugations provided with ap- Collect nitrogen h- Similar manifold t propriate perforations, the apices of the corrugations Shown) at the bPttOm dehvefs 31? into Said p being united to the walls on either side. With this con- The ihtemledlate p pp Spaces, colltahllhg the struction the perforations may take the form of a row spacer elements are connected at bottom to of rectangular holes extending in a horizontal direction h mamfol'd P Shown) for drawmg ofi oxygenimmediately below the apex of each bend in the corruga- Vapour form 15 f mm the bottoms of the closed tions, with the pockets or troughs bounded by the sloping Popped Spaces and h h condehsahoh occurs f part of each corrugation below the row of perforations a Product cohslshhg of about h h h thereof and above the next point beneath at which the 50 dhawh oh from the bottom and a hmdhct which Is malhly corrugated sheet is attached to either wall of the column. hhhogeh h the Meahwhhe fhachohal h In order that all or the greater part of the liquid shall h occurs In the opeh'topped h hqhld h h overflow from the troughs through the rows of holes and mg of hhoht h h a vaponsefd not leak away at the ends of the troughs, the ends of the gen leaving ht e top w l e lqm product 0 he-ar y walls and the corrugated element should seal a ainst end pure oxygen 15 wheeled at the bottom The heat glveh off during condensation in the close-topped spaces is closure strips extending the full height of the column. transferred through the Walls 11, 12 and absorbed by the If the walls of the column are made of metal they evaporation occurring in the opemtopped spaces hfiord good means of heat thahsher to or from the h By arranging a large number of alternate fractional stance under h'hahheht hh the Wahs of the Parhhoh condensation columns and fractional evaporation columns elements also giving addltional heat transfer surface. side by side in this way, a very large capacity is brought It 1s possible to arrange several such units s de by s de, into a Small Spam Also, although a compound asserm the lhtermedlate Wans be1n g commuted by smgle f bly of columns is thereby produced it is easily manufacnesses of metal: h m thls case cold mfxture whlch tured, the units consisting simply of alternate flat wall requires fractiohahhg and to recelve heat 111 50 (10mg, plates and zigzag perforated plates, with appropriate ends y be arranged to he treated alongside an adjacent and top and bottom manifolds. If heat transfer is to umn or columns which are not so cold and which require t k place between a liquid-vapour system undergoing during treatment to P With heat- The tWO more fractionation and one or more other fluid streams which fractionating 60111111118 in this Case co-0pefate With 0116 do not themselves require to be simultaneously fracanother for the carrying out of a complex fractionating i t d th apparatus shown i Fi 5 may b process. This is particularly valuable in the treatment of air for the separation of oxygen and nitrogen by liqueployed, the spaces or channels 41 conveying the fluid streams which do not require to be fractionated being 3 provides with other arrangements of partitions or packings of kinds already known for heat transfer duty only.

Other methods of construction of the fractionating devioe whichembody, the same general principles of liquid and vapour uisutbuuon. are possible in cases in which the transterot he t is not required as a primary accom panimentirorracuonation. In one such construction illustrated in Figure 2, two (or more) generally vertical spacer elements 24 with horizontal corrugations can be disbetween op osed vertical wall plates 25, 26, each etement 24 having its corrugation apices 27 united either to one of the walls 25, 26 or to the apices of the next element 24 alongside it. Q As before, rows of perforations 28 provided iust below eachapex bend in each element 14, and liquid pockets or troughs 29 are formed beneatitthese rows.

in another construction, shown in Figure 3 the corrugatedclements 30 are laid horizontally across the fractiohhtiiig comma. one upon another, with the apices 31 of the corrugations of each element meeting those of the ele, ments above and below it to form a kind of honeycomb structure Petforatiohs 3 2 are again provided along each inclined face of eachjcorru'gated element .30 at a level justxbelow the apices 31 of the corrugations. The down-flowing liquid .willtherefore collect in the troughs 33 formed by tthe lower apices of the elements 30 and will ov] owlthrough the perforations to form'athin liquid a men underside of each element 30.

This construction could be modified by arranging the corrugated sheets in such manner that the corrugations in each succeeding sheet extend at an angle, for example at right snglesno those in the preceding sheet, the apices of the corrugations of adjaeentsheets being united where they cross. In both cases, the ends of the column could be sealed by having a series of horizontal closure strips bondedo'n instead of the vertical strips of the previously des cn'bedembodiments. I

in yetanether construction, shown in Figure 4, the

walls of the columntalte the form of a circular tube 34 and in thiecase the partitions are constituted by hollow cones. 35, 36"thc bases of which fit the interior of the tube. and which are stacked within the column alternately base to base and apex to apex. In this 35 which lie apex-upward have perforations 37 near their apices and provide liquid pockets o'r troughs .38 between the ba'se of each cone and the V and there is a space above the liquid in the pocket, into which the holes open, which forms a relatively wide channel for intermixing of vapour and pressure equalisation. The successive passage of gases through the holes and into these spaces tends to promote turbulent flow conditions, which again, favours effective interchange of constituents between gas and liquid.

outer wauwnile the inverted cones 36 have perforations 39 in a circumferential row near their base edges and form central liquid pockets 40 in their interiors below said perforations. The bases of the cones are united to thc'tube of the column to seal the liquid troughs 38 and to promote heat transfer to the cones.

Other possibilities arise within the scope of the invention. Thus the partitions within the column might be constituted by horizontal lengths of tubing, for, example superposedtube lengths staggered alternately from side to side of the column in the direction normal to their axes.

With all ithese constructions the path of gases upwar through the fractionating column is determined by the locations of the perforations which are alternately at one sideof a zigzag and then the other. This gives a tortuous course to the gases and causes them to impinge repeatedly on z the underside of the material of the zigzag below i the; pockets; Liquid collecting in the pockets overflows through the perforations in the form of thin films which I spread themselves on the undersides of the pockets and Columns constructed according to the foregoing may be employed as reflux condensers or partial evaporators, and it will be understood that the term fractionating column as employed in the following claims is intended to include any apparatus in which some fractionation occurs and where a construction in accordance with the invention would be appropriate.

If desired, the bottoms of the pockets or troughs may be provided with fine holes 42 (see Figure 5), in addition to the apertures at the tops of the troughs, to allow the column or apparatus to be. drained.

I claim:

1. A fralctiona'ting column comprising walls, and a series of superposed partitions within said walls and made of fluid-impervious material each of which partitions extends both upwardly and across the column and has its upper and lower margins connected to the walls on op posite sides of the column so as to provide seals which prevent fluid flow past its upper and lower ends, each succeeding partition being sloped in a different direc tion to the partition preceding it, and wherein each partition has at least one fluid flow aperture through its uppet-portion topcrmit the upward flow of gas through the column, and the part of the partition below said apcrture constitutes the wall of a liquid-collecting trough from which liquid can now over the top edge of said trough with through the lower portionof said aperture and run down the underface of the partition as a film, whereon the gas issuing upwards through the aperture in the partition below impinges.

2. A fractionating apparatus comprising a plurality of columns according to claim 1, disposed side-by-side, with a common wall between each succeeding column and the one preceding it whereby heat transfer between adjacent columnscan take place through the common walls.

3. A fractionating column as claimed in claim I, wherein the walls comprise fiat upright walls, and the series of superposed partitions are constituted by a plurality of superposed zig-zag partition elements extending between said walls, each of said partition elements being in the form of a generally horizontal corrugated sheet provided with perforations to constitute the fluid flow apertures, the lower apices of the corrugations of each suc ceeding sheet resting ,on the upper apices of the corrugations.

4. A fractionating column as claimed in claim 3, wherein the perforations take the form of rows of holes extending in a horizontal direction immediately below each upper apex of each corrugated sheet on both sides of said apex, with the troughs formed by the parts of the corrugations below the rows of perforations.

5. A fractionating column as claimed in claim 1, wherein thebottoms of the troughs are provided with fine drain holes to allow the column to be drained.

6. A fractionating column comprising two flat upright parallel walls, and a series of superimposed partitions within said walls and made of fluid-impervious material, each of which partitions extends both upwardly and across the column and has ,its upper and lower margins connected to the walls, on opposite sides of the column so as to provide seals which prevent fluid flow past its upper and lowerends, each succeeding partition being sloped in a diflerent direction to the partition preceding it, and wherein each partition has at least one fluid flow aperture through its upper portion to permit the upward flow of gas through the column, and the part of the partition below said aperture consti tutes the wall of a liquid collecting trough from which 2,ass,195

liquid can flow over the top edge of said trough wall through the lower portion of said aperture and run down the underface of the partition as a film, whereon the gas issuing upwards through the aperture in the partition below impinges, the said series of superposed partitions being constituted by a zig-zag partition element extending between said parallel walls, the said partition element being in the form of a generally upright sheet having longitudinally horizontal corrugations provided with perforations to constitute the said fluid flow apertures, and the apices of the corrugations being united to the walls on either side.

7. A fractionating column as claimed in claim 6, wherein the perforations take the form of a row of rectangular holes extending in a horizontal direction immediately below the apex of each bend in the corrugations, with the pockets or troughs bounded by the sloping part of each corrugation below the row of perforations thereof and above the next point beneath at which the corrugated sheet is attached to either wall of the column' 8. A fractionating column as claimed in claim 6, wherein the ends of the flat walls and the partition element are sealed on to closure strips extending the full height of the column to close in the ends thereof.

9. A fractionating column comprising upstanding walls, and a series of superposed partitions within said walls and made of fluid-impervious material each of which partitions extends both upwardly and across the column and has its upper and lower margins sealed to the walls on opposite sides of the column in fluid-tight manner to prevent fluid flow past its upper and lower ends, each succeeding partition being sloped in the reverse direction to the partition preceding it so that the partitions together follow a course up the column which deviates from side to side within the walls, and wherein each partition has fluid flow apertures through its upper portion to permit the sinuous upward flow of gas through the column, and the part of the partition below said apertures constitute the walls of a liquid-collecting trough from which liquid can flow over the top edge of said trough wall through the lower portions of said apertures and run down the underface of the partition as a film whereon the gas issuing upwards through the apertures in the partition below impinges.

10. A fractionating column comprising two flat upright parallel walls, and at least one series of superposed partitions within said walls and made of fluid-impervious material, each of which partitions extends both upwardly and at least partly across the column, and each succeeding partition being sloped in a diiferent direction to the partition preceding it, and wherein each partition has at least one fluid flow aperture through its upper portion to permit the upward flow of gas through the column, at least alternate partitions in the series having their upper margins, above their said fluid flow apertures, connected to a wall of the column so as to provide seals, and the part of each partition below its fluid flow aperture constituting the wall of a liquid-collecting trough from which liquid can flow over the top edge of said trough wall through the lower portion of said aperture and run down the underface of the partition as a film, whereon the gas issuing upwards through the aperture in the partition below impinges, the said series of superposed partitions being constituted by at least two zig-zag partition elements disposed side by side between the said parallel walls, each of the said partition elements being in the form of a generally upright sheet having longitudinally horizontal corrugations provided with perforations to constitute the said fluid flow apertures, and the partition elements being united to each other and to the walls at the apices of the corrugations.

11. A fractionating column comprising walls, and at least one series of superposed partitions within said walls and made of fiuid-imprevious material, each of which partitions extends both upwardly and at least partly across the column, and each succeeding partition being sloped in a different direction to the partition preceding it, and wherein each partition has at least one fluid flow aperture through its upper portion to permit the upward flow of gas through the column, at least alternate partitions in the series having their upper margins, above their said fluid flow apertures, connected to a wall of the column so as to provide seals, and the part of each partition below its fiuid flow aperture consituting the wall of a liquid-collecting trough from which liquid can flow over the top edge of said trough wall through the lower portion of said aperture and run down the underface of the partition as a film whereon the gas issuing upwards through the aperture in the partition below impinges, the walls being constituted by an upright tube of circular section, the said series of superposed partitions comprising a succession of superposed hollow cones provided with perforations to constitute the said fluid flow apertures and having base diameters to fit the interior of the tube, alternate cones up the length of the tube being disposed apex-upward and the intermediate cones base-upward, each of said apex-upward alternate cones meeting the cone below base-to-base and the cone above it apex-toapex.

12. A fractionating column as claimed in claim 11, wherein the perforations take the form of a horizontal row of holes around each cone, just below the apex of each apex-upward cone and just below the base edge of each base-upward cone.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 537,509 Wardle et al. Apr. 16, 1895 1,169,764 Brassert Feb. 1, 1916 1,790,489 Sippel et al. Ian. 27, 1931 2,681,269 Bergstrom June 15, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,171 Austria Apr. 10, 1900 899,196 France July 31, 1944 988,034 France Apr. 25, 1951 678,100 Germany July 8, 1939 684,870 Germany Dec. 7, 1939 846,092 Germany Aug. 7, 1952 

